I think with all the combative language, we have missed an important part of this site: there are TREES there. So the effects of solarization will be substantially reduced. Solarization is mostly used to control soil diseases and nematodes that run rampant in parts of California, studies have shown it only effects about 2" of the soil in terms of sterlization of dormant seeds - it is not really what you need. Just scrape off whatever you can, get some black filter cloth - it blocks light but not water - and put it down, then starting building up some bew compost with whatever you can get your hands on - layer it onto the black cloth and try to get it about 12" deep. You can cut the cloth open in some areas to put in a larger addition, but be sure to remove the soil from the hole and dispose of it rather than mixing it into the compost. Your area will not be hot enough long enough to use solarization for weed removal and the lack of a heat containment below soil during solarization makes its efficiency just terrible related to the work and time required to do it.

I have Little Bluestem, Purple prairie clover, Showy goldenrod, Penstemon grandiflorus, Chasmanthium latifolium, several types of Monarda, and a few seeds for Baptisia australis. Check out my exchange list for a complete list of seeds, most of which are natives. You are welcome to do a SASBE. Send me an email if interested.

interested in the following: Turtle Head (chelone) pls ck my trade list for what i have; some of the plants are native to my area

Bumping back up b/c every CDN should have the opportunity to join the list if they wish to. not every person on Far North Gardening, visits the Exchange forum and they would never know the thread existed. Happy SPRING all! Barb southern Ontario, CANADA